Employees call off strike as govt agrees to incorporate OPS benefits in new pension scheme

Government, semi-government, teaching and non-teaching employees have been on an indefinite strike since last week demanding implementation of the OPS to those appointed after 2005.

Vishwas Katkar, convener of the coordination committee of government, semi-government, teaching and non-teaching staff unions said that the state government informed the unions that it was positive on the demands raised by the employees. “Our main demand was to implement OPS with arrears. The government had earlier announced a committee which we had rejected. But today, a new proposal was presented to us. In the meeting, our position on OPS was in-principle approved. While comparing both schemes, it was given in writing that pension benefits from new scheme will be equal to those from the old scheme,” he said.

OPS is a defined benefit scheme as against the NPS, which is market-linked with both the government and the employee making monthly contributions to be invested in pension funds.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said, “I welcome the decision taken by the striking government and semi government employees to call off the strike. Today, we had a meeting with the representatives of these unions. They gave an optimistic response when the government urged them to withdraw the strike. They have now called off the strike.”

Shinde said the government is positive about the demands. “The committee set up to study the issue will be directed to submit a report on priority. After this, the report will be studied and an apt decision will be taken,” he said.
Shinde made the statement in both the State Legislative Assembly and Council.

Katkar said that all notices sent to striking employees will be taken back. “We are thankful to the government for the sensitive response it has given. I appeal to all employees to be present on duty to ensure duties are fulfilled,” he said.
Last week, with the strike kicking off, Shinde had announced in the Legislative Assembly setting up of a committee comprising former senior bureaucrats Subodh Kumar, KP Bakshi and Sudhir Kumar Shrivastava on the issue. The panel will compare old and new pension schemes and submit a report with recommendations within the next three months. Director (Accounts and Treasury) will be the secretary of the committee. After calling off the strike, the employees said that the unions will cooperate with the committee and give their input for better results.

Earlier, Maharashtra Legislative Council was adjourned three times in a row on Monday, for a total of 20 minutes, as the Opposition demanded that the government find a resolution to the strike. When Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar began to reply to the Opposition, stating that the matter was an old one which has been “going on since 2005”, the latter erupted in slogans. At this, Mungantiwar also began to raise his voice. Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe asked him to remain calm while answering the questions, but then adjourned the house three consecutive times due to the ruckus.

When the Council resumed business, Mungantiwar requested the deputy chairperson to urge the employees to call off the strike as hospitals were getting affected due to lack of nurses and doctors, and farmers whose crops have been damaged in the rains were also hit due to delay in panchnamas needed before aid from the government. Gorhe said, “We are all expecting the government to find a solution so that the strike can come to an end.”